The Safekeep

"It is the only book I have read this year that has made me cry. . . . Van der Wouden has produced the rare novel about World War II, the Holocaust, and their aftermath that succeeds in feeling fully, intimately human. . . . [The plot] twist is not what makes The Safekeep remarkable; what does is the extraordinary, emotional story Van der Wouden crafts around it, and the pitch-perfect voice she brings to the characters who experience its consequences." -Talya Zax, The Washington Post

"Quietly remarkable. . . . Van der Wouden's writing is fine and taut. She lasers in on details, and presents unsentimental and intrinsically powerful metaphors. . . . I would have liked this book in any case, just for the pleasure of reading it. But the story is resolved in such a bold and tender way that it becomes not merely clever, but indelible." -Lori Soderlind, The New York Times Book Review

"A brave and thrilling debut about facing up to the truth of history, and to one's own desires. . . . The tightly controlled narrative breaks open into a tale of erotic awakening, followed by an almighty twist. Anticipating that twist will not lessen its impact-fittingly enough for a novel in which everyone knows more than they can bear to admit. van der Wouden brings stunning power and control to her page-turner about trauma and repression." -The Guardian

"A razor-sharp, perfectly plotted debut novel. . . . This book is worth your time and your patience." -Sunday Times

"A compelling and atmospheric story of obsession and secrets. A novel that explores the things that are kept from us as children and the things we tell ourselves about our own hidden desires." -The Booker Prize Judges' citation

"An absolutely stunning novel. . . . The writing is completely beautiful; the plot is brilliant. . . . What seems as a quiet story at the beginning reaches a turning point. . . . Everything is up for grabs. . . . A page-turner." -WAMC

"By turns erotic, heartbreaking, and incandescent in its outrage on behalf of the invisible victims of a cataclysm that reverberated for decades after the peace treaties were signed, The Safekeep packs an emotional wallop that is matched by its moral urgency." -TIME, "100 Must-Read Books of the Year"

"A brilliantly executed twist elevates this love story into something much darker." -The Times (UK), "The Best 12 Books of the Year"

"Unexpected and extraordinary." -Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times

"A beautifully realized book, nearly perfect, as van der Wouden quietly explores the intricate nuances of resentment-hued sibling dynamics, the discovery of desire (and the simultaneous discovery of self), queer relationships at a time when they went unspoken, and the legacy of war and what it might mean to have been complicit in its horrors. . . . A brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Ms. van der Wouden knows how to wring real emotion from her readers, and The Safekeep is the uncommon book that one experiences in an almost physical way." -Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

"This is an intimate novel, closely and brilliantly observed. . . . An accomplished debut." -New York Journal of Books

"[A] simmering, sexy work." -Parade

"Fans of Patricia Highsmith and Ottessa Moshfegh's Eileen will find much to admire here. Recommended for reading outdoors while eating a ripe pear." -New York Magazine